How to save on gardening supplies

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Story highlights

The more any plant is in demand, the more nurseries will charge for it

Multi-tasking tools can be just as effective as single-purpose ones

Use a timer to control the water your plants need and the cost of your utilities

Use these ideas to sow your seeds a little smarter -- and reap the financial benefits.

Shop early

Supply and demand rules at garden centers, and the selection is greatest early in the season. In the spring, you'll find one-gallon boxwoods costing about $8 each, but by the end of summer, large plants costing $30 or more will probably be the only ones left, says Marty Ross, a syndicated gardening columnist in Kansas City, Missouri.

Buying one large marigold plant for $8 can give your garden a head start, but a four-pack of smaller ones costs half the price and each of the tiny plants will grow to the size of the large one in just a few weeks.

After one season, they're completely established, so a nasty freeze shouldn't zap them. Purchase cone flowers (native in much of the country), or go to plantnative.org to learn what grows naturally in your region.